Reply: We still have more to do in our life

In their letter, Harky and colleagues1 discuss our article regarding total arch replacement in elderly patients.2 They listed their own patients, 24 octogenarians who underwent some thoracic aortic surgery using deep hypothermic circulatory arrest between April 2003 and December 2016. They report elective mortality of 16.7%, stroke rate of 22%, and urgent mortality of 33.3% for those undergoing deep hypothermic circulatory arrest, with only just more than half being discharged home. Based on their results, they state that elective surgery for thoracic injury in octogenarians is barely acceptable.
Source: The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery - Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research